So for us 2.2's we have that heat shield on our engine. Have any of you that have removed it seen a drop in running temperature as drastic as mine?

I run about 10 degree cooler now. between 187-199 compared to 199-212. I mean it is just a drastic difference. Anyone else get this?

 

i did, but i keep it on in the winter

 

I haven't. I've never seen mine go over 200 anyway... It's usually in the 188-195 range.

 

mine went down a few degrees, not as much as yours though... you're in the normal temp range though... sounds like you were a little high before

 

My temps didn't change at all. Oh well, the engine bay looks less cluttered anyway.

 

i did also, never see my car jump from the 187 degree mark (though i dont look that often to be honest)

 

Is a cooler engine a bad thing? Yes I know it will burn more fuel when its cooler but then again there is less thermal breakdown of parts when it is cooler. If the engine is cooler then pretty much everything should last longer. What I noticed after removing the engine cover was a drop in MPG. The car was getting 31 mpg and now it is getting 30 mpg.

 

yea..i might be wrong but because the car is cooler it means it does not burn the fuel as completely thus less mpg

 

cooler is fine, when "cooler" is in the optimal temp range.

 

Well the car is still at optimal temperature. At running temperature the engine should certainly be warm enough. What I do like about the engine cover is that it holds heat in faster in the winter. So at -40C the car should take less time warming up then its ecotec cousins without an engine cover. In a warm climate no one should ever have a problem. There are plenty of these engines running in cars that never had engine covers. Their early models in the jbodies and so on. The warmer engine will burn the fuel more effeciently and I suspect thats another one of the features GM came up with to keep emissions down on these cars. It seems that they were struggling with the 2006-2007 standards.

 

Well my car has dropped the 10 degrees and I haven't noticed any difference in fuel mileage (other than getting better mileage after changing to 89 instead of 87)

I am going to put it back on for the winters. But for now it is off and it will give me a chance to clean and polish. And maybe even paint the cover.

 

Only Heat shielding i haven't taken off is the Stuff on the firewall. Everything else is gone. Car runs between 178 and 182 typically.